If the same amount of matter exists before and after changing, then is Earth like a closed ecosystem? Does is it contain a specific amount of matter until an outside source adds more matter into it?

Question

If the same amount of matter exists before and after changing, then is Earth like a closed ecosystem? Does is it contain a specific amount of matter until an outside source adds more matter into it?

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Answer 1

in terms of being closed, no, we receive vast amounts of energy from the sun, and lose equal amounts to space. in terms of matter alone, small amounts fall to us all the time, and rarely some matter escapes, but it’s very hard to get matter off earth.

the amount of matter we receive isn’t constant: we fly through different fields and get a few meteor showers a year. it also wasn’t constant in the past, when the solar system was forming vast amounts of matter were coalescing to form what we now call earth.